Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of Saturday, September 26, 2015 to Monday, September 27, 2015:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, September 26, 2015, 12–1 pm
Introduction to Bird Watching
Look! Up in the sky, it’s a bird! But what kind of bird is it? Join the Prospect Park Alliance to learn about the magnificent array of birds that call Prospect Park home. Led by the Brooklyn Bird Club

Sunday, September 27, 2015, 2 pm
Family Bird Watching
Did you know that as an Important Bird Area, Prospect Park supports an exceptional diversity of migrating birds and is an essential stopover for about 250 species of birds? After learning how to use binoculars, participants of all ages can join Alliance Naturalists on a walk to learn how to identify these birds!

**********

Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Bush Terminal Pier Park Big Mini Sit and Greenwood Cemetery tour
Meet 7:30 am west corner of 4th Ave and 45th Street where R train stops at 45th St. We will walk to the Bush Terminal Park at 43rd St and 1st Ave entrance.
Leader: Peter Dorosh 347-622-3559 (text message only)
Focus: a one/two-hour stationary "sit " at Bush Terminal locust grove for fall migrants, warblers, flycatchers, and songbirds, then back to the 4th Ave entrance of Greenwood Cemetery (15 minute walk); the emphasis is to see what birds visit in Bush Terminal Park's first fall season.

**********

City Island Bird Walks
Sunday, September 27, 2015, 8:30 AM - Noon
Fall Migration Walk/ Birding at Bartow
Birds are coming, lets go find them! Meet in the Bartow Pell Mansion Museum lot. This is a new venue for some and it should be fun exploring. Bring insect repellent and long pants! If there’s time, we’ll check out Hunter Island too
Meet at Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum

Basic Information:
Our walks are free, informal, friendly and fun. The walks usually last about 4 hours, depending on many variables, which include weather, birds, and fatigue. If you want to leave early, there are no hard feelings.
Please come prepared! Bring binoculars and a field guide if you have one. I will bring a spotting scope but feel free to bring your own if you have one.
Beginners especially welcome!
No dogs!

Driving to Bartow- Pell is the easiest way to travel here. Public transportation is possible but arduous. Be sure to leave extra time on weekends. Here’s directions by car and bus.

**********

Gateway National Recreation Area
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Full Moon Hike
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fee Information: Free
Contact Phone Number: 718-318-4340
A park ranger gives a brief slide show presentation, followed by an evening full moon hike. Overcast skies, or inclement weather will cancel program.

**********

Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Hook Mountain Hawk Watch
Leader: Rob Jett a.k.a. "The City Birder"
Registrar: Miriam Rakowski— miriamrakowski@hotmail.com or 212-749-7376
Registration opens: Monday September 14
Ride: $25

Sunday, September 27, 2015
Staten Island Mount Loretto / Conference House Park
Leader: Howard Fischer
Registrar: Anne Lazarus — amlazarus47@gmail.com or 212-673-9059
Registration opens: Monday September 14
Ride: $20

**********

Littoral Society
Saturday, September 26, 2015 04:00pm - 07:00pm
Jamaica Bay Sunset Ecology Cruise
Learn about the history, management, ecology, and wildlife of the bay aboard the 100' boat "Golden Sunshine" leaving from Pier 2, Sheepshead Bay. See nesting egrets, herons, ibis and many other species. Cost: $55, includes 3-hour narrated tour of backwater marshes, wine and cheese, fruit, snacks. To purchase tickets visit: jbsunsetecology.eventbrite.com
Location: Sheepshead Bay
Contact: Call (718) 474-0896 or e-mail: donriepe@gmail.com

**********

New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Debbie Becker leads a free bird walk at the Garden every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. beginning at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center

**********

New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, September 26, 2015, 8:00am – 9:30am
Van Cortlandt Bird Walks, The Bronx
Guides: NYC Audubon with the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy
Meet at Van Cortlandt Nature Center. The history of birding and Van Cortlandt Park are inseparable. Influential birders such as Roger Tory Peterson and Allan D. Cruickshank got their starts on Van Cortlandt’s ecologically diverse grounds. These walks celebrate the tradition set forth by these great ornithologists. Participants will look for various species of residents and migrants and discuss a wide range of avian topics. For more information, please call 212-691-7483. No registration necessary. No limit. Free.

Saturday, September 26, 2015, 4pm – 7pm
Jamaica Bay Sunset Ecology Cruise
Guides: Don Riepe and Mickey Cohen with the American Littoral Society and Gateway National Recreation Area
Join us for a special 3-hour narrated tour of Jamaica Bay aboard the “Golden Sunshine” out of Sheepshead Bay. Meet 3:30pm at Pier 4 ( Emmons Ave. and Bedford Ave., Brooklyn). By train it's the Sheepshead Bay Station on the Q train. By car, get off the Belt Parkway at exit 9 or 9a. Learn about the history & ecology of the bay and see migrating hawks, falcons, osprey, herons, egrets, ibis, shorebirds and waterfowl. Includes narrated tour, wine & cheese, fruit, snacks, drinks.
To reserve, send a check for to: American Littoral Society, c/o Don Riepe, 28 West 9th Road, Broad Channel, NY 11693. To reserve by credit card online go to: www.jbsunsetecology.eventbrite.com. For more information call (718) 474-0896 or e-mail: donriepe@gmail.com. Limited to 140. $55 ($25 for children under 16)

Sunday, September 27, 2015, 8am – 10am
Fall Migrants of Woodlawn Cemetery, The Bronx
Guides: Tod Winston, Joseph McManus with Woodlawn Conservancy
Meet at the Jerome Avenue entrance of Woodlawn Cemetery. Join us for a morning bird walk and tour of beautiful Woodlawn Cemetery: Tod Winston and Joseph McManus will look for fall migrants and year-round residents on the expansive, wooded cemetery grounds, while a Woodlawn Conservancy docent shares fascinating stories about Woodlawn’s history and the interesting mixture of individuals interred there. Bring water. Limited to 15. $35 (24)
Click here to register

Sunday, September 27, 2015, 10am – 11am
Birding Basics For Families, Central Park
Guides: NYC Audubon, Conservancy Discovery Guides
Offered by The Central Park Conservancy
Meet at the Dana Discovery Center (inside the Park at 110th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues). Experience Central Park’s precious bird habitat and migration hot spot with Conservancy Discovery Guides and NYC Audubon. Witness firsthand how the Conservancy’s work has made the Park a sanctuary for birds. Binoculars can be borrowed from the Visitor Center. Limited to 20. Age 5 and up. Free, pre-registration recommended. For weather cancellation updates and pre-registration information, call 212-772-0288.

**********

North Shore Audubon Society
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Alley Pond Park
Joan Perry 718-365-7191
Trudy Horowitz 718-224-8432

Walks are for beginners and experienced birders alike. Weather permitting, walks start at 9:30 AM unless indicated. Please note: all phone numbers are area code 516 unless otherwise indicated. In most cases, the contacts are also leaders for the respective walks. Go to our website at http://northshoreaudubon.org/ for directions. We would like to encourage carpooling, where possible.

**********

Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Sunday, September 27, 2015, 8:00am – 10:00am
Cemetery of the Resurrection
Join birder Anthony Ciancimino for a guided nature walk through the Cemetery of the Resurrection. The cemetery encompasses many types of habitats and is one of the best spots on the south shore for birding. After checking the three ponds we will then walk to the “overlook”, an area where many species have been recorded over the years, especially at this time of year. In addition to migrating warblers and vireos, we can also potentially pick up more uncommon migrants, such as Vesper Sparrow, which appear annually at this spot. Meet at the southernmost entrance to the cemetery, closest to Hylan Boulevard. If you are coming from Hylan Boulevard, the side of the cemetery we are walking is on the left side. It’s on the right side if you are coming from Amboy Road. For more information email Anthony Ciancimino at sibirdwatcher@yahoo.com.

**********

South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Alley Pond Park
Notes:
All walks start at 9:30 A.M.
There is no walk if it rains or snows or temperature is below 25°F.
For more information or in case of questionable weather conditions, please phone Joe at 516 467-9498
For directions to our bird-watching locations, click here.

**********

Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Bird Walks at Van Cortlandt Park at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
8:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m.
The history of birding and Van Cortlandt Park are inseparable. Influential birders such as Roger Tory Peterson got their starts on Van Cortlandt’s ecologically diverse grounds.
Free!

Birding: Fall Migrants at Alley Pond Park Adventure Center (in Alley Pond Park), Queens
9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in New York City.
Free!

Trees of Inwood Hill Park at Payson Center (in Inwood Hill Park), Manhattan
9:30 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Take a deep look at the deciduous trees and the ecological relationship between plants and animals as they go through the change of season from summer to autumn.
Free!

Birding: Brooklyn Road Trip at Salt Marsh Nature Center (in Marine Park), Brooklyn
10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
The Rangers are taking you on a road trip in search of early fall migrants.
Free!

Introduction to Bird Watching at Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Look! Up in the sky, it’s a bird! But what kind of bird is it? Join the Prospect Park Alliance to learn about the magnificent array of birds that call Prospect Park home.
Free!

Sunday, September 27, 2015
Birding Basics for Families at Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (in Central Park), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Experience Central Park as a precious bird habitat and migration hot spot! Bring your family on a guided walk led by Central Park Conservancy staff and the NYC Audubon Society.
Free!